Folding toothbrush with a positive latch



Aug. 9, 1960 P. J. MES! FOLDING TOOTHBRUSH WITH A POSITIVE LATCH Filed Sept. 15, 1958 INVENTOR. P121711]: J H051 BY um ww. ww

U ted t s P e O" FOLDING TOOTHBRUSH WITH A POSITIVE LATCH Phillip J. Mesi, 2411 N. Clybourn Ave., Elmwood Park, 111.

This invention relates to folding toothbrushes adapted, when open, to be of the general length of a conventional toothbrush and, when folded, be of sufficiently shorter length to fit compactly into a toilet kit.

In Patent No. 2,503,924, granted April 11, 1950, there is disclosed a folding toothbrush of the character comprehended by this application which, when folded, is received in one side of a kit or receptacle having a compartment for dentifrice.

The present invention relates to improvements in the toothbrush disclosed in said application which substantially reduces the cost of manufacture.

In the said patent the halves of the toothbrush are maintained in open, rigid relation by means of a sliding latch consisting of three parts namely: an actuating pad, a latch bar and a screw uniting the two for joint operation. The instant concept is directed to a one-piece combined actuating pad and latch bar capable. of being molded from plastic composition and adapted to be rap-. idly assembled with the two parts constituting the body.

of the toothbrush and maintained permanently against accidental dislodgement therefrom, when the parts are in collapsed relation, by utilizing a boss cooperable with the hinge pin connecting the two body parts.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description which, taken with the accompanyingqdrawing, discloses a preferred mode of carrying the invention into practice.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is acombined elevation and partial longitudinal section of a folding toothbrush in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

.Fig.-3 'is a combined elevation and partial longitudinal cross section thereof, with the latch moved to the unlatched position; 1

Fig. 4 is a reduced perspective view showing the article in folded condition;

,Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the unitary pad and latch;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged cross sections taken onthe lines 6-6, 77 and 88 of Fig. 1.

Broadly regarded the inventionrelates to a toothbrush having two principal parts, herein termed for convenience of elucidation as a brush part and a handle part which are connected by a hinge to enable the-partsto be, folded to reduce the overall length of the article. The bfush'part'incorpo'rates groups of -bristles of convention'al array "and attachment. The handle part carries an actuating pad unitary with a latch bar engageable, in one position, with the inwardly disposed extremity of the brush part in order that the two parts may be rigidified while the brush is in use. The actuating pad and latch comprise, with a connecting piece, a unitary assembly, which piece passes through and is guided by an open-ended slot in the inwardly disposed end of the handle part and extending longitudinally thereof. Desirably the latch bar is received in aligned 2,948,009 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 recesses respectively in the brush and handle parts in order to preserve a flush relation and thereby render the article more convenient to handle. The actuating pad desirably lies on one of the lateral faces of thehandle part for ease in manipulation and is convex in. exterior aspect to fit the hand. To prevent the unitary pad and latch bar from becoming disassociated from. the handle part when the article is folded there is provided a boss abuttable with the hinge means whereby the pad and latch bar assembly is incapable of dislodgment from operative relation.

Adverting to the drawing there is shown a toothbrush. comprising two body parts: a brush part 10 and a ham dle part 11. One end of the brush part is provided with a plurality of tufts of bristles 12 of conventional construction and arrangement forming no part of the:

invention per se. The handle part 11 is desirably of:

elongated, parallelepipedic configuration with rounded corners and edges for obvious reasons. nature of the article a plastic composition is preferred for the several parts exclusive of the hinge pin and bristles, although these may obviously also be of plastic composition.

At their junction the parts 10 and 11 are articulated by a hinge 15 comprising a pair of ears 16 integral with the brush part 10, a pair of cars 17 integral with the handle part 11 and a pin 18 tightly fitted in holes in the ears 17. For reasons which will appear hereinafter the pin 18 occupies a distinct position with respect to the latch bar.

A recess 21 preferably rectangular in transverse cross section, in the inner end of the brush part 10 and opening from one lateral face 25 and from the inner end face 22 thereof, aligns with a recess 23 of transverse cross section corresponding to the recess 21. Recess 23 opens from one lateral face 20 and from the inner end face 24 of the handle part 11. A slot 27 opens from the end face 24 of the handle part 11 and desirably has the same width as the recess 23.

The unitary actuating pad and latch bar is best seen in Fig. 5 and comprises a pad 31 having a flat face 32 juxtaposed to the lateral face 33 of the handle part 11 for sliding contact therewith. Where, in the description and claims I employthe adjective lateral I intend to comprehend the side faces of the body of the article in a broad sense, namely the faces 20, 25 and 33. For the comfort of the user the outer surfaces of the pad 31 are rounded off as shown (Fig. 5) and a series of ridges 35 is provided to present a friction surface for more convenient manipulation.

vThe latch bar 41 is desirably of rectangular cross section and, in the collapsed condition of the article, is slidably received in the recess 23, and, in the operative condition of the article, in both recesses 21 and 23. The thickness of the bar 41 is such as to allow snug entry thereof between the hinge pin 18 and the floor of the recess 21 whereby in the'operative position of the parts the pin 18 serves as a back support for the latch bar and the force thereon, regarded as a cantilever, is thereby materially reduced. In this way the hazard of breakage of the latch bar is substantially eliminated.

Joint movement of the pad 31, and the bar 41 is through a neck portion 44 uniting the same and having flat faces for engagement with the walls of the slot 27. The width of the neck 44 is such as to provide a sliding fit in the slot, the thickness thereof is slightly greater than that of the wall portion 46 of the handle part exclusive of the recess 23, for operating clearance, and the length thereof is such, with respect to the length of the slot 27, as to enable the latch bar to occupy its two extreme positions. It will be understood that the length of the neck 44 will be made a maximum consistent with Because of the Y 3 the length of the slot 27 in order that the pad 31 and latch 41 will be united by a member of maximum strength.

From the foregoing it will have become apparent that.

the pad 31. may hev shifted longitudinally of the article between two extremepositions to lock andunlock the parts and 11. The locked, or extended position is seen in Fig. l where the latch bar 41. is fully into engagement with the recess 21. In this position the wall portion 51 of the brush part 10 is clamped, so to speak, between the face 32 of the pad 31 and the inner face of the latch bar 41. Additional rigidity is contributed by the hinge pin 18 as above described. Concurrently the wall portion 46 of the handle part 11 is clamped, so to speak, between the face 32 of the pad 31 and the inner face of the latch bar. Thus, when the latch is to the left the brush is, for all practical purposes, the full operating equivalent of a conventional toothbrush.

Tov release the parts 10 and 11 for folding to idle position the pad 31 is actuated to the right (Fig. 3) to withdraw the latch from the recess 21 and from beneath the hinge pin 18 whereafter the parts may be folded to the collapsed condition of Fig. 4.

It will be observed that, when the parts 10 and 11 are folded to the position of Fig. 4, the end of the slot 27 will be exposed and that, in the absence of special provision therefor, the pad and latch assembly of Fig. 5 may be withdrawn or fall out. To obviate such contingency I provide, on the outer surface of the latch bar 41, an integral boss or pad 52 which may, when the brush and handle parts are folded, engage the hinge pin 18. Inasmuch as this pin is fastened into position following assembly of the unitary pad and latch bar assembly the latter will thereafter be maintained in operative relation with the handle part 11.

It will also be noted that the design of the assembly of 'Fig. 5 is such as to lend the same to molding in plas tic composition without the necessity of employing expensive cores or undercuts in the mold.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

1 claim:

1. In a folding toothbrush which comprises an elongated brush part including an inner end face and bristles. secured to a lateral face of the part and an elongated handle part including an inner end face which parts, in the operative relation thereof are aligned with the respective end faces. in juxtaposition the improvement comprising; a hinge and latch means for effecting folding of said partsin adjacency and for latching said parts in. the unfolded, extended position, said hinge comprising a pair of ears on the brush part adjacent the inner end thereof and a pair of ears on the handle part adjacent the inner end thereof, the said pairs of cars being respectively overlapped and provided with aligned bores receiving a through hinge pin, the brush part and handle part each having a longitudinal recess opening at one end on said inner end faces and opening on coplanar lateral surfaces thereof, said recesses being in alignment, said handle part having a longitudinal slot opening at said inner end face thereof and extending from the floor of said handle part recess to the lateral wall 'thereof opposite said recess, said latch means including a latch bar slidable in said recesses and having two working faces the inner one of which slides on the floor of said recesses and the outer one of which is adapted, in the latched position of the parts, to engage frictionally under said hinge pin, said latch means also including an actuating button having a face slidable on the respective lateral faces of said brush and handle parts opposite the respective recesses therein and a neck integral with said latch bar and actuating button passing through said slot to unite said bar and button for joint movement, said neck travelling in said slot upon movement of the latch means between latching and unlatching positions.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by a pad on the latch bar extending outwardly thereof for abutment with said hinge pin upon actuation of the latch bar in the direction of its movement to latching position to prevent inadvertent separation of the, same from the handle part when the brush and handle parts are folded so that the brush part is not in, a position to limit movement of the latch bar.

3. In a folding toothbrush which comprises an 61011! gated brush part including an inner end face and bristles secured to a lateral face of the part and an elongated handle part including an inner end face which parts, in the operative relation thereof, are aligned with the respective end faces in juxtaposition, the improvement comprising: a hinge and latch means for effecting folding of said parts in adjacency and for latching said parts in the unfolded, extended position, said hinge comprising a pair of ears on the brush part adjacent the inner end thereof and a pair of ears on the handle part adjacent the inner end thereof, the said pairs of ears being respectively overlapped and provided with aligned bores receiving a through hinge pin, said handle part having a longitudinal slot therethrough opening at said inner end face thereof, said latch means including abar having a face slidable on co-plan-ar faces of said brush and handle parts, said hinge pin being spaced from said co-planar faces an amount substantially equal to the thickness. of the latch bar for frictional engagement of said bar between said pin and co-planar faces when the latch bar, is moved to latching position, said latch means also including an actuating button having a face slidable on co-planar faces of the brush and handle parts opposite said first co-planar faces and a neck passing throughsaid slot integral with said latch bar and actuating button to unite the same for joint movement, said neck travelling in said slot upon movement of the latch means, between latching and unlatching positions.

4. The combination in accordance with claim 3 further characterized by a pad on the latch bar extending outwardly thereof for abutment with said hinge pin upon actuation of the latch bar in the direction of its movement to latching position to prevent inadvertent separation of the same from the handle part when the brush and handle parts are folded so that the brush part is not in a position to limit movement of the latch bar.

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

